Use a Safety Gate to Prevent Access in Restricted Work Areas

A safety gate helps to prevent unauthorized access in restricted work spaces throughout your facility. For example, you may want to place a gate at entrances and exits to production floors where specific kinds of safety gear are required. You can display warning and caution signs on the exterior of the gates announcing what equipment are required in order to enter the work location. As a result, your employees are well aware that they should not enter the area unless wearing the proper equipment.
 

Install a Safety Gate along Openings in Railings Which Are Elevated Off of the Ground

 

The openings at the top of railings which are elevated above the floor frequently require a safety gate to be installed. The safety gate allows people to move and transition up and down stairs or a ladder, while at the same time works as a preventive measure against accidental falls. The gate should also never be propped open and needs to remain closed whenever it is not being used in order to be effective.

Skylight Guarding Helps to Prevent Accidental Falls

Some building designs may include the use of skylights to allow natural sunlight into the interior of the building. By using natural sunlight, it helps to illuminate work areas and help reduce the number of lights in operation during the day. Any building that has skylights also needs to have skylight guarding installed. The guarding acts as a barrier anytime someone is working or performing maintenance on the roof to prevent accidentally falling through the skylight.

Not Using Skylight Guarding over Skylights Is Just Like Having a Hole in Your Roof

 

Unprotected skylights on the roof your building is considered the equivalent of a hole in your roof according to OSHA guidelines and regulations. This is because skylights do not provide any protection in the event someone was to trip, fall and land on top of the skylight. The force of the impact from the fall could be strong enough where the person actually falls through the skylight and be seriously injured. It is your responsibility to ensure your employees, contractors and other people who access your roof are protected by making sure you have skylight guarding installed over all of your skylights.

Make Sure Permanent Guard Rails Are Correctly Anchored in Place

It is important to ensure permanent guard rails are properly anchored and secured in place. You could use mounting brackets to attach the railing to and bolt it down into the surface where the railing is being installed. You need to make sure railings are firmly in place and do not wobble or sway excessively after mounting processes are complete. In the event you notice the railings seem loose and not secure, you may need to use shorter sections of railings and increase the number of mounting brackets.

Permanent Guard Rails Can Be Installed Using Concrete

 

Another option for installing permanent guard rails commonly used during new building construction is to use concrete to firmly secure each leg support. The length of each leg does require it to be sunk to a specific depth in order to avoid the top of the railing from swaying and moving excessively. You also have to account for this added length so your railings are the recommended height once they have been fully installed.

Lower the Risks of Accidents and Injuries by Using Safety Guard Rails

Organizations are required by law to create and maintain safe working environments for their employees. The types of laws which influence the materials and items required for your facility depends upon industry. For instance, manufacturing firms often require safety guard rails to be placed around dangerous equipment and on elevated walk ways and storage areas. The guard rails are necessary because they help to lower the risks of accidental falls, accidents and injuries.

Safety Guard Rails Have to Satisfy Specific Regulatory Standards

 

There are specific guidelines used to determine whether your safety guard rails meet OSHA and other government regulatory compliances. In certain cases older buildings may have railings which do not meet current standards. Specific provisions were made in the past that has allowed these organizations to continue using their pre-existing safety equipment. However, any time the business removes and replaces their older railings and other equipment, they must replace it with the currently accepted standards.

Ladder Guards Are One Kind of Equipment Used at Construction Sites

Construction sites need to make sure they incorporate specific kinds of safety equipment during building processes. For instance, ladder guards should be used at the base and top of the ladders to prevent accidents. Guards placed around the base of the ladder help to prevent people from walking around and under the ladder when a worker is on the ladder. Base guards also aid in lowering the risks of accidently knocking the ladder over. Safety guards placed at the top of the ladder helps to lower the risks of workers falling from elevated work areas.

Portable and Permanently Installed Ladder Guards Are Available for Your Building

 

There are different styles of OSHA approved ladder guards available to meet the needs of your business. You are able to find guards that can be installed permanently in a fixed location. These styles are often installed after building construction has been completed, such as over hatch openings. Other styles provide portability in order to be used in multiple locations throughout your facility. Portable models are ideal anytime maintenance, repairs or construction is being performed in specific areas in and around your building.

Safety Railing Is Available in Two Basic Styles for Your Organization

There are two basic styles of safety railing available for use in and around your facility. One type of railing you can select is permanently installed in fixed locations around your building. For example, you may use this railing on elevated walk ways, loading docks and other areas which remain the same. The railing should meet the minimum OSHA requirements for height after installation, based upon the measurement from the ground to the top of railing. 

Portable Safety Railing Is another Type of Railing You Can Use

 

Another type of safety railing you can use in your building is portable railing. This kind of railing allows you to move it from one area to another, set it up, use it short term and then take it back down. Portable railing is well suited for temporary job tasks and functions, like maintenance duties and unloading and loading trucks. You are also able to use portable railing for construction projects and roofing projects.

Make Sure Safety Gates Are Installed at the Correct Height

When installing safety gates you need to make sure they are installed at the same height as your guard railing. You would not want to install the gate at the floor level as this could make the entryway unsecure and unsafe. Rather the gate should be able to block entry to the location where someone has to physically open the gate and are unable to step over it.

Install Safety Gates at the Same Time You Install Permanent Guard Railings

 

Anytime you are installing permanent guard railings in your facility you will also want to include safety gates at set intervals. The gates allow your authorized employees to cross from one work area to another. Gates also help to prevent people from falling when they are used on walkways elevated above dangerous equipment and machinery. In this situation the gate not only serves as an entry and exit but also a barrier.